MTV True Life: I'm a professional gamer

They had another one of these again recently. They had one before where a bunch of kids were working at UPS or FedEx or something while playing video games during night.

This time they had a group of girls that went to France and won. This one chick from Alhambra I believe seemed pretty cute for a gamer.

I don't know, just thought it was interesting. Being a pro gamer and all.

[Blarg]

Definitely a lot of kids' dream.

Then again, so is being a [cardgame] pro. Which is probably easier.

[ QUOTE ]
Being a pro gamer and all

[/ QUOTE ]

Me too, I play Pole Position and Duck Hunt, you?

[ QUOTE ]
Definitely a lot of kids' dream.

Then again, so is being a [cardgame] pro. Which is probably easier.

[/ QUOTE ]
I was reading that some kid (His handle is Fatal1ty I think) earned $100K last year playing video games professionally. He expected to rake in about $200K this year with sponsors.
I agree that a game like poker is a far better profession since any and everybody plays poker, and they play it absolutely terribly. I love video games, but poker is a far more attractive way to make money and is far more competetive.

[Etric]

Anyone else read this as "I'm a professional gambler"?

[Blarg]

Thresh of course is the poster boy for this. He parlayed his Quake mastery into a successful website, tons of endorsements, and into being a millionaire when he still looked like he probably wasn't even in puberty yet.

I was never a bully and can't stand them, but I joked to a friend once after seeing Thresh at E3 that he was so twerpy even I was half-tempted to punch him. My friend did not find this funny at all or forgive me for this remark.

[shant]

Entertaining episode. That one dude's girlfriend was cute.

[JaBlue]

The best halo player hopes to make 60 grand. WOW.

Don't starcraft players in Korea do better?

[TheGame1020]

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Anyone else read this as "I'm a professional gambler"?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, I have a one track mind sadly.

[meep_42]

[ QUOTE ]
Entertaining episode. That one dude's girlfriend was cute.

[/ QUOTE ]

...and he was such a dick. Go figure.

-d

[Blarg]

I wouldn't be surprised, from what I hear about how insanely popular Starcraft is in Korea.

[Martin]

Sadly yes. As the other poster said "One track mind" /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[JMP300z]

[ QUOTE ]
The best halo player hopes to make 60 grand. WOW.

Don't starcraft players in Korea do better?

[/ QUOTE ]

Ya.
I <3 SC.

-JP

[Blarg]

I wonder if anyone on OOT or 2+2 has ever made a dime off Starcraft. It would be kind of cool if this sort of thing weren't so uncommon.

[toss]

Lets start a 2+2 8 Player FFA on Starcraft right now!!! I'll ScvRush all you all asses!!!

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Anyone else read this as "I'm a professional gambler"?

[/ QUOTE ]

Same here. /images/graemlins/blush.gif

EDIT: fatal1ty isnt just some gaming kid. He's probably the most famous gamer alive, and he's (one of) the best too.

[Blarg]

Heh I hardly played it and don't even remember how by now.

[jaydub]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Anyone else read this as "I'm a professional gambler"?

[/ QUOTE ]

Same here. /images/graemlins/blush.gif

EDIT: fatal1ty isnt just some gaming kid. He's probably the most famous gamer alive, and he's (one of) the best too.

[/ QUOTE ]

Famous gamer being a highly relative term of course.

And yes I too read gambler.

[SL__72]

[ QUOTE ]
I wouldn't be surprised, from what I hear about how insanely popular Starcraft is in Korea.

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought some kid in Korea had an endorsement contract of over 150k for playing starcraft...

[Blarg]

Jesus.

[Duke]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Anyone else read this as "I'm a professional gambler"?

[/ QUOTE ]

Same here. /images/graemlins/blush.gif

EDIT: fatal1ty isnt just some gaming kid. He's probably the most famous gamer alive, and he's (one of) the best too.

[/ QUOTE ]

Dennis Fong is dead? Or am I behind the times.

~D

[naphinfitos]

On the MTV episode the money the kids were making was dogshit though. Like the kid who plays smash bros, the first prize in the big tourney was like a grand and he was "planning on playing 13 tournaments this year." So he could win all of them, then have enough to buy a Saturn? He's really not a "professional gamer" if thats all hes earning.

[SL__72]

I don't follow this kind of thing anymore, but I'm pretty sure Johnathan Wendel (Fatal1ty) is still making a few hundred thousand dollars a year from gaming. Stuff like this (http://www.thecpl.com/league/) helps out I'm sure but he also has some endorsement deals with computer hardware and accessory companies.

[Blarg]

Holy cow, a quarter million bucks for the winner of the match.

Anyone know if Thresh plays competitively anymore? I got the impression years ago that he retired because the competition was starting to catch up to him.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Definitely a lot of kids' dream.

Then again, so is being a [cardgame] pro. Which is probably easier.

[/ QUOTE ]
I was reading that some kid (His handle is Fatal1ty I think) earned $100K last year playing video games professionally. He expected to rake in about $200K this year with sponsors.
I agree that a game like poker is a far better profession since any and everybody plays poker, and they play it absolutely terribly. I love video games, but poker is a far more attractive way to make money and is far more competetive.

[/ QUOTE ]

That really isn't that much, in the whole scheme of things of course. In China and Korea, there are professional gamers who are paid to train starcraft and WC3 all day. They rent out an apartment, hire 10 of the top gamers to live there training against eachother all day. I've read that the best starcraft player in china earns upwards of 300-400k a year including sponsorships.

Of course, there are also counter-strike teams such as coL and 3D who are paid monthly salaries, as well as receiving money from the numerous prizes they win from competing internationally. These teams are sponsored by major commercial stores like Subway. I think 3D was sponsored by Bestbuy or something previously.